Why we swim : Book review

 



Book Review 


Title: Why We Swim

Author: Bonnie Tsui

Genre: Non-Fiction

 

Water as an element is mysterious and magical. Despite its imperceptible dangers, there is something that draws people to it.  

 

In ‘Why we swim’ author Bonnie Tsui explores this mystical element of water and immerses the readers into an unforgettable aquatic journey. She believes that everybody has their own swimming story. She goes on to her own tryst with the swimming pool that morphed into a passion for swimming in open waters. The book takes us through the various terms associated with swimming and also numerous inspirational tales. 

 

We learn about the Homo sapiens’ first attempts to feel at home in water and the sea nomads-the best free diving fishermen who swim down to two hundred feet. These tribes namely Moken and Bajau have unique abilities to understand the mercurial nature of the ocean. She also introduces us to the most compelling and inspiring people. 


There is Gudlaugur Fridporsson-the Icelandic icon who endured a six-hour swim in the freezing Atlantic after his fishing boat capsized. Then we meet Kim Chambers who loses her leg in an accident and becomes one of the world’s best long distance swimmers. We have Officer Jay Taylor who during the Iraq war, converted Saddam Hussein’s private pool into a swimming school for people around the world. She moves on to talking about Samurai swimmers from Japan, nuances of competition, community and flow. 

 

Divided in several sections, the author delves deep into every one of them, citing interesting examples and instances. Despite some of the technical elements, her prose flows in a beautiful rhythm, giving you the feeling of riding a wave. Her sentences are lyrical and poetic. Besides her language, the structure of the book works well.  It emphasizes the healing power of water and other health benefits. Inspiring and informative, ‘Why we swim’ will resonate with every swimmer and non-swimmers will be compelled to take that plunge. 

 

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